Auditioning the Audition Process
There’s no doubt that the standard “12 minutes behind the screen” audition is a crazy way for orchestras to select new players. But let’s not forget that current audition traditions evolved as a response —and a remedy—to previous traditions which clearly did not serve the musicians’ best interests. So it may turn out to be the worst system except for all the others! I suppose that’s one reason I’m glad to be participating in the discussion – because a careful critique of the audition process is the best (and only) way to make it better.
I think that for every flaw we can find in the way things are now, there are simple, straightforward fixes that that orchestras can implement to suit their particular situations. Clearly, the biggest flaw of the current system is that it tests certain skills, but doesn’t test the fundamental skill of playing music day-in and day-out in an orchestra.
At the Dayton Philharmonic, our solution, clunky though it may be, is a new hire’s up-to-two-year probationary period, which includes contractual language requiring the Music Director to promptly inform a probationary musician if there are problems that could jeopardize the likelihood of their receiving tenure. While a full-time orchestra could easily include a “trial period” as part of the audition process, for a part-time per-service orchestra like the DPO, that’s hard to do in a fair, prompt manner. For us – so far – the probationary system seems to work well.
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